Make Votes Matter campaign is gathering momentum in Dorset

9 February 2018

Members of the 'Make Votes Matter' (MVM) political pressure group have met in Bournemouth to establish the plan of action in an effort to change the current electoral system.

The meeting that was held on Tuesday 6th of February in the East Cliff church was attended by several campaigners and members that represent various political parties across the spectrum in Dorset, including several members of South East Dorset Green Party.

The group members gathered to discuss their next steps after a 24 hours hunger strike to highlight their support for a new electoral reform.

‘Make Votes Matter’ is a cross-party initiative which aims to change the current voting system to Proportional Representation in the House of Commons in Westminster.

The main point on the agenda was a discussion on how MVM members of Bournemouth, Poole, Christchurch, and the New Forest can contribute to the existing Labour Campaign for electoral reform.

The meeting was organised by Barbara Czoch, who explained “All the local authorities in Dorset – about 9 of them – are about to be reorganised into 2 Unitary Authorities; one for Bournemouth, Poole, and Christchurch, and the other for the rest of Dorset.

If the councillors are to be elected by FPTP then inevitably they will be almost all conservative, so we want them to be elected under PR”.

MVM does not advocate one system over another, but rather is practicing a 2 stage process of engaging with the public and parliament to win agreement that PR is necessary and forming a Constitutional Commission (or some such body) to decide on a list of criteria under which electoral systems should operate, and review the different systems and advise upon which ones match the criteria.

The full report can be read on The BUzz website, which is run by undergraduate Multimedia journalism students at Bournemouth University, with the aiming of bringing its readers all the latest news from Bournemouth and beyond.

Chris Rigby, a former parliamentary candidate and a member of the South East Dorset Green Party explained why he wants to see more representation in parliament in this clear and precise video.